1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector for an electric device such as a board connector to be fixed to a board e.g. by soldering.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-214093 discloses a board connector with a hook integrally formed on a housing. The hook projects down from a lower surface of the housing and then extends back. The board connector is fixed to a surface of a board by sandwiching an end edge of the board between the hook and the lower surface of the housing. This construction enlarges the entire housing.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H11-67374 discloses a board connector with a fixing clamp. The fixing clamp has a press-fitting portion to be press-fit into a housing, a fixing leg to be fixed to a board and a connecting portion connecting the press-fitting portion and the fixing leg. The press-fitting portion is press-fit into the housing and the fixing leg is inserted into a mount hole in the board to fix the board connector to a surface of the board. The fixing clamp has a complicated structure and the mount hole has to be formed in the board.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-31259 discloses a board connector with a housing made of resin and a metallic shield case. The housing is arranged to surround connection terminals. The shield case has locking pieces for fixing a board. With such a construction, the locking pieces are parts of the shield case and only application to a board connector provided with a shield case is possible.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-166491 discloses a board connector with mount grooves formed in side walls of a housing and plate-like fixing parts mounted in the mount grooves within the thickness range of the side walls. With such a construction, the entire housing is not enlarged because the fixing parts are arranged within the thickness range of the side walls. Further, the fixing parts have a simple construction and the board connector can be fixed to a board by soldering the fixing parts to a surface of the board. Hence there is no need to form mount holes in the board. This construction is also applicable to a board connector with no shield case.
The soldered parts of the board connector disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-166491 are subjected directly to stresses if a wire drawn out backward from a mating connector is vertically shaken while the board connector is connected with the mating connector. Therefore, there is a likelihood of reducing joint strength due to cracks in the soldered parts.
As a countermeasure, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-317357 discloses a board connector with a receptacle that permits a mating connector to be fitted therein and the mating connector includes a hook-shaped restriction. The restriction engages the underside of a board while sandwiching the board together with the front edge of the receptacle. The restriction is subjected to stress if a wire drawn out backward from the mating connector is shaken vertically, thereby reducing stress on soldered parts.
However, the restriction in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-317357 is subjected directly to an external force from the mating connector if the wire is vertically shaken and the restriction is more likely to vertically move together with the mating connector. Further, the board is more likely to move vertically if the restriction is moved vertically. Then, other parts mounted on the board are affected adversely even if stresses acting on the soldered parts can be reduced.
Further, the restriction disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-317357 is engaged with the underside of the board upon connecting the two connectors. For example, even if the board connector is pulled away from the board surface before a connecting operation, stresses acting on the soldered parts cannot be reduced.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to reduce stresses acting on soldered parts before and after a connecting operation by preventing vertical movements of a board.